I doubt fans of The Sound of Music are aware that it is actually a remake of a German film called The Trapp Family (1956) that version of the singing Von Trapp Family also made a lot of money. The German studio Gloria Films just like their Hollywood counterparts knew a money making machine when they saw it and went ahead and released the further adventures of the Von Trapp Family as The Trapp Family In America.
The story is basically about the Von Trapp Family traveling around America by bus performing their dreary religious song repertory. Not unlike Julie Andrews, Maria Von Trapp is a goody two shoes who realizes that the paying American public wants to hear music they can relate to in this case a chorale version of "Oh Suzanna" apparently. The Von Trapps eventually end up in Vermont where they buy a farm which I believe is still owned and managed by some of their descendants. That's about all this film is, a bunch of people riding around on a bus, a bunch of kids singing and Maria Von Trapp as her smiling happy self.
I suppose a couple of things to note. Maria Von Trapp was played by an actor named Ruth Leuwerik who was a big star in Germany in the 1950's. The real Maria Von Trapp wrote a book about her experiences and eventually sold it to Gloria Films while signing away her rights to any profit participation in the film. This sequel apparently made quite a bit of money. Much like American audiences, there is sometimes no accounting for taste when it comes to the German movie goer.
Overall this film is mighty dreary. There really is no conflict and there is a whole lot of singing the viewer has to sit through. As with any "based on a true story" film the “facts” are mighty wobbly compared to the real story of these singing songbirds. This is not much of a film, The Trapp Family In America is more of a curiosity than an interesting story.
The film was written by what else an ex Nazi named Herbert Reinecker, the running time is 103 minutes.
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